Contextualization
Narrative typology is an important component of literature that allows us to categorize different forms of narratives and understand them better. In the scope of this project, we will focus specifically on two types of narratives: biography and autobiography. While a biography is a detailed account of another person's life, an autobiography is the story of the author's own life. Both are valuable tools that allow us to capture human experiences, learn from them, and connect with other people on a deeper level.
Different types of narratives have different characteristics that easily distinguish one type from another. Biographies and autobiographies, for example, are often told in the first person singular and have a strong focus on the protagonist's personal experiences. This protagonist is usually a notable individual in their field of expertise, whether in business, politics, arts, sports, among others.
Considering the importance of biographies and autobiographies in society, this project proposes a closer look at these two types of narratives, their differences and similarities, and how they are used in literature and in the media. It is expected that through this project, students will be able to analyze a variety of biographies and autobiographies and use that analysis to write their own stories.
Narrative typology is not only important for literature but also has various practical applications and relevance in the real world. For example, biographies and autobiographies are used in journalism to tell the story of a notable person or an important event. These accounts are essential to help us understand the world around us and our own human experience.
Furthermore, biographies and autobiographies are also a vital part of the business world. Often, companies use autobiographical testimonies from their founders or leaders as a way to promote their products or services. Additionally, biographies of successful business leaders can serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Research sources suggestions:
Practical Activity - Narrative Typology: The Account and Memory: Biography and Autobiography
This project will be carried out by groups of 3 to 5 students and has an estimated duration of at least 12 hours per student.
Project Objective
Study biographies and autobiographies of different personalities, analyze their structures and particularities, and produce, as a group, a mini-biography and a mini-autobiography for each group member.
Detailed Project Description
This project consists of researching, analyzing, and producing biographies and autobiographies. The groups will initially research various biographies and autobiographies of historical and contemporary personalities from different fields such as literature, sciences, arts, politics, among others. The idea is to understand the structure and characteristics of this literary genre. Then, the students will collaboratively produce a biography and an autobiography text for each group member.
Required Materials
- Library books and online material about biographies and autobiographies.
- Computers with Internet access and Text processing software (Google Docs, Microsoft Word, etc).
Detailed Activity Steps
Step 1: Research and Analysis
The groups will conduct in-depth research on biographies and autobiographies. They should analyze the narrative structure, the main elements and characteristics, the language used, the narrative point of view (first person for autobiographies, third person for biographies), and other relevant aspects.
Step 2: Production of Biographies
Each group will choose a personality for each group member, whose life they find interesting and want to write a biography about. Each member will do their own research and then share their findings with the other members. Then the team will work together to write the biography.
Step 3: Production of Autobiographies
In this stage, each group member will write a mini-autobiography. They can discuss as a group how to structure it and which experiences to include.
Final Delivery: Written Document
The groups will compile all the texts produced into a single document. This document should also include:
- Introduction: Brief explanation about the project, the relevance of the studied theme, and the purpose of the work;
- Development: Theory about the studied narrative typology (biography and autobiography), details about the practical activity carried out, methodology used in the work, and presentation and discussion of the results obtained;
- Conclusions: Final reflection on the observations, learnings, and conclusions drawn from the project;
- Bibliography: All bibliographic references consulted during the project.
Remember that the main objective of this project is to learn to differentiate between a biography and an autobiography and develop collaboration and teamwork skills. The evaluation will consider both the theoretical content and the practical teamwork.
